Do any of the department stores carry 1000 Mile boots? I would like to try them on before I buy if at all possible. I see them on Nordstroms website but I know they do not carry everything in store that is online.

Neiman's has 3 or 4 different styles. Tried them all on but there was something about every style they carried I didn't like (cheap looking leather or a mushy overpadded footbed or a blobby toebox, etc.) If they put out enough models eventually they will produce something I will buy.

I don't know where you live but I've seen them at the Bloomingdale's out here in San Francisco.

Indianapolis-so no Bloomingdales or Neiman Macus. We have Saks and Nordstroms. I called Nordstroms and they do not carry any in store.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Manfred Freitag

Neiman's has 3 or 4 different styles. Tried them all on but there was something about every style they carried I didn't like (cheap looking leather or a mushy overpadded footbed or a blobby toebox, etc.) If they put out enough models eventually they will produce something I will buy.

I liked something about all of them as well, I guess I'm just nit-picky about my kicks. The only one I thought was cheap looking was the Addison two-tone wingtip, the tan Inferno leather looked plasticky. It's a nice collection and I am looking for an excuse to buy a pair, just haven't found the right one yet. And as you say, for around or above three bills, I need to fall in love or at least lust.

Thanks for your reply mikecch, i'm considering to cover the full sole indeed.

Regarding insulation are your refering to this Sno Seal beeswax ? would it be enough to protect boots from snow ?

As per the leather out-sole i'd go for the esthetic choice. Better looking than rubber or neoprene. I'm not sur with leather you can reach 1000miles though.

Last, regarding the size, should i size down whole size ? (i'm 9.5 so should go to 8.5 ?)

By insulation I mean any type of foam or other insulating material between the outer leather and the lining material, to prevent cold feet.
I have no idea how cold it gets in your area though, maybe insulation is not necessary.

You could use sno seal or some other wax sealant, but Chromexcel cattlehide is pretty water-proof from the get go due to it's high oil content and re-tannage (chrome then vegetable).
But not a bad idea to give it a coat once in a little while
Just make sure you gently heat up the leather and the wax mixture a little bit during application.

I find the standard 1000 Mile fits me true to size, but I do like my boots a little looser.

With regards to the sole, I guess it's whatever floats your boat...could consider something like a commando half-sole for your next re-sole?
The 1000 Mile boots from the 40s onwards were mainly rubber/neoprene of one description or another though...but I guess historical accuracy isn't the game we're playing here :P

I just got those Chippewas today. The leather is very similar to Chromexcel, but I don't think it actually is Chromexcel....which I'm sure is part of the lower price. Construction is very high quality, though maybe not with quite the polish and refinement of the Wolverine 1000 mile boots. Overall I think it's a great boot for the price. It's going to be my winter boot for the year to save my leather soled White's and my cordovan Alden's from the abuse that Wisconsin winters (and all the salt they put down around here) can put on a boot. Little pricier than the LL Bean Katahdin (which is another solid option) but the the style, sole, and leather make the extra cost worthwhile for me personally.

Yeah. Why is Chippewa so much less expensive than Wolverine? Both made in US, right? Differences in materials or construction quality?

The Chippewa and the Wolverine are both made in the US. The difference in price comes down to I think not quality of manufacture but the finish of the leather. With more extensive leather finish, the Wolverine costs more.

I just got those Chippewas today. The leather is very similar to Chromexcel, but I don't think it actually is Chromexcel....which I'm sure is part of the lower price. Construction is very high quality, though maybe not with quite the polish and refinement of the Wolverine 1000 mile boots. Overall I think it's a great boot for the price. It's going to be my winter boot for the year to save my leather soled White's and my cordovan Alden's from the abuse that Wisconsin winters (and all the salt they put down around here) can put on a boot. Little pricier than the LL Bean Katahdin (which is another solid option) but the the style, sole, and leather make the extra cost worthwhile for me personally.

The Chippewa is probably made in China, the Wolverine in the US. The difference in price comes down to the cost of labor and skilled worksmanship is always reflected in the final price of the boot.

Uh, really? No.

And those Chippewas went up 30 bucks from a week ago. I went with the Steven Alan Thorogoods (the "Chukka") and they are awesome. Either one is a better option to the 1000 mile imo. Red Wing GT is a better looking boot than the 1000 mile as well. But just an opinion.

These have a leather sole. Do not use them as snow boots. Get dedicated snow boots when the weather is disgusting. But for just wet weather, they're fine and will hold up, without doubt.
For snow, look to Sorel or LL Bean.

Is this the general consensus? I was looking as these as my primary winter boots, which will include a lot of snow.

Is this the general consensus? I was looking as these as my primary winter boots, which will include a lot of snow.

The upper will hold up just fine in snow after treating with a wax like Obenauf LP or Sno-Seal. However, any shoe/boot with a leather sole won't offer much traction in the snow. My 1K's saw a fair amount of snow last year and held up fine but I wouldn't wear them sledding with the kids or anything like that. I do wear them around town in the winter.

You could add a rubber/composite sole covering that will help in snow or yould hvae it re-soled with a lugged vibram. Or you could buy a boot like the RW GT that comes equipped with a lugged sole from the factory.

I'll likely have my 1K's re-soled with the vibram mini lug when the leather wears out. In the meantime, I wear something else in the heavy snow.

Thanks, Patrick! Yeah, I will only use when commuting back and forth from college, and that's a total of about 500m of snow each way. Look on the bright side, my balance will be better than ever. I've been looking at the RW GT, but I like the history and craftmanship of the 1K's better.